Substructure construction



web, 1o, 1925'. 1,525,740

E. E. HOWARD ET AL.

SUBSTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION l Vm I Filed .Septlilhl 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :''EIIII' li l INVENTOR v A l ErneazEZ/iowarci 711 By L 116/?-0-5/2 feb. 1o, 1'925. 1,525,740

E. E. HOWARD ET AL SUBSTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION Filed sept, 12, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED. sra Tiss` nnnnsrrn. Howann am), Louisa. nerr, or Kansascrrv, ivrrssonnr.

sunsTRnoTURE cons'raucmroN.`

Application filed` September 12, 1921. Seria1 No. 499,945.

To Lalli 707mm, f1 may concern.'

Be it known that we, EnNes'r E. Hown ann and Louis R. Asn, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson, and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suhstructure Construction; and We do declare the followingtohe. aull, clear, and exact description of thenvention, such asnill enable othersskilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bei-ngA had to the4 accon'ipany ing drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofV this specification.

Our invention relates toa method of construction forbridge `foundations and particularly contemplates the rigid anchorage of the supporting structure by penetrating the hed rock as distinguished from a relatively very shallow excavation into rock, or its mere support thereon.

Heretofore it has generally been the practice to sink the supporting structure only to or slightly into bedrock to secure anchorage against sliding but without securing rigid lateral support except that provided by the softer material overlying bedrock. Often where this softer material was shallow or subject to scour it has necessitated an expensive type of foundation to insure lateral strength. Our invention relates to a method of construction which provides anchorage into the bedrock without the necessity for an expensive caisson or a massive foundation which otherwise would be necessary.

In practising our improved method, the rock is drilled into preferably with a rotary drilling rig, such as is commonly used for oil wells to receive a tube such as oil well casing, the casing being sunk into the hole thus drilled and extending up to a point above the water level. The casing is then filled with reinforced concrete, thus securing a solid column of reinforced concrete with a metallic sheathing, extending deep enough into the rock to afford lateral as well as vertical support and constituting what is termed in engineering practice, a fixed end column. The upper parts may be built upon the columns thus provided, the reinforcing` of the columns extending into the shafts or coping of the upper parts to tie the parts together and provide a pier.

The number of tubes and nature of the upper parts connecting thenrmay vary ac ccrding to size` and type of bridge, and, whilewe describe. the invention in its relation to bridges, it should beunderstood that the method may be employed for other structures, such aswharfs, docks, etc.

The invention contemplates certain` rc-` iinements of this generic idea` lwhich will he specifically described hereinafter, reference. being' had tothe accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig.` 1 is a side elevational view of `a bridgeconstructed in accordance with. our invention, with shaft.

Fig. 2 is a vertical: sectional `View of` a bridge, illustiat-ing a four-column pier with web and coping.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical, longitudinal, section on the line 4.-4, Fig. 2.

-leferring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

1 designates the stream, 2 the soil and sands of the bed, and 3 the hed rock. In carrying out our invention we drill anchoring holes or recesses 4 .into the bed rock to a suitable depth for forming a firm anchorage for the columns, and into the holes thus formed we sink the column sheathing, preferably consisting of oil well casing 5. The sheathing Vis continued above the surface of the stream to a height dependent upon the type of bridge and the height at which the superstructure is to be supported above the water level. If the support is to be continued upwardly las a shaft, the sheathing may terminate at such a point above the water level as to avoid intake of water. In other types, the sheathing may extend to a height to directly support slabs, coping` or girders.

After the sheathing is set, reinforced con crete is introduced thereintc to form a solid concrete column core 6, reinforced by longim tudinal rods 7, which extend above the upper end of the tubing into the shafts 8 (Fig. 1), slabs, or copings as indicated by 9, Figs. 2 and 4. The shafts 8 may support slabs, or copings 9 and rest upon clusters of columns. i

With the shaft type of pier (Fig. 1), the sheathing is boxed, preferably to a point below the water line, and the shaft poured to form an integral supporting structure illustrating a sixfcolumn pier of the columns, and shaft proper, reinforcing in the sheathing extending into the shaft proper to tie the parts together.

lVhen the sheathing above forms the supporting structure, its reinforcing is bent lat" erally to be embedded in the web or copings, and the paired sheathings preferably connected by webbing l0.

The method of constructing the bridge as above described particularly commends itself because the foundation or supporting structure can be constructed by an ordinary oil well rig and by employing commercial oil well casing, which is readily available.

XVe are aware that metallic piles have been used and that reinforced concrete piles and columns are not new, but we are not aware that prior to our invention, bridge supporting structures have been provided by drilling into bed rock and sinking tubes, such as commercial oil well casing, into the holes to constitute columns with iiXed lower ends, this being one of the -vital features of our invention.

Attention is called to the fact that columns built in accordance with our invention can be constructed very quickly and will provide an eiiicient, inexpensive supporting means for the superstructure and that they can be made of any diameters but preferably of relatively small diameters and arranged in clusters.

If the casing becomes rusted or deteriorates, the integrity of the pier will not be destroyed because the concrete core will still constitute an efficient column or support for the superstructure.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A bridge structure comprising a set of spaced concrete columns at each side of a bridge structure, a concrete sha-tt formed integral with the upper ends of each set of columns, concrete webs integral with and connecting the shafts at opposite sides olf the bridge structure, and a superstructure carried by the shafts and webs.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ERNEST E. HOWARD. Louis a ASH. 

